Restaurant 3% surcharges for inflation, and health care, is a BIG Pet Peeve for Me

[Tia]

I haven’t been to fast food in years, but I may go to McD’s next month.

if you do please post your 2cents report on the experience.

 

[clifffaith]

Why? There far superior places to eat at similar prices.

Other than an annual taste for an EggMcMuffin, and a rare McDonalds stop on the road, we did far more Subway than burgers. I love a Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich at Carl’s, but even before the more recent fast food price hikes, the price had increased so much that I couldn’t justify $8 for one sandwich when for the same price or less I could get a “foot long” and feed Cliff too. It is hard to want to eat anything out these days because of our prepaid meals at the Old Folks Home. We didn’t eat here on Mother’s Day (my housebound mom wanted Panda Express), so that left 42 non refundable dollars/points on our account when it turned over on the fifteenth.

 

[ScoopKona]

not for me, the food is awful, one taste and I don't go back, went last year for first time in many years and remembered why I hadn't been there.

It's been decades for me. And I'll go to a supermarket on road trips before I'll waste time, money and calories on fast food. Grocery store sushi, or rotisserie chicken, a sub, or even a boxed salad is going to be just as fast, less expensive, and certainly better quality food.

I'm hoping we finally move away from "everything comes in the back frozen on a pallet, and is then heated and sold to people who don't think about what they're eating."

Incidentally, an anagram for "I am loving it" is "ailing vomit."

 

[slip]

I love a Big Mac once in a while and the Fries are always good. I do like the Sausage McMuffins for breakfast too. No McDonald's here so it's been a couple years for me.

I'm sure we'll stop at one sometime during our trip to the mainland next month. Ba-Da-Ba-Ba-Ba

 

[davidvel]

Incidentally, an anagram for "I am loving it" is "ailing vomit."

Clever, but the catch-phrase is "I'm Lovin' It," so it would be "Ilin' vomit."

 

[Tia]

Just saw a Domino's Pizza commercial saying next time you tip the delivery driver $3 or more they will give you $3 off your next order. That implies to me tips for drivers are not what they should be.

 

[PigsDad]

Just saw a Domino's Pizza commercial saying next time you tip the delivery driver $3 or more they will give you $3 off your next order. That implies to me tips for drivers are not what they should be.

Why? It is just a promotion to get you to be a repeat customer, and the driver still gets the tip money. My daughter drove for them one summer, and there was never any funny business with tips -- she got every cent. She also got paid for mileage and for using her phone to run their app while working, on top of her hourly wage. She made out quite well for just driving around, which she really liked.

Kurt

 

[Superchief]

About the only time I eat at fast food restaurants is on a road trip. When I drive to Hilton Head or Orlando, I usually stop at Bojangles or Hardees for their breakfast biscuits. They are much better than McDonalds and are typically $2 per sandwich cheaper. I also really like Bojangles fried chicken. We also like Wendy's breakfast sandwiches, but some don't serve breakfasts.

 

[TolmiePeak]

McDonald's is addictive. (So is the rest of fast food.) But McDonald's is peerless when it comes to hooking diners and keeping them coming back for more.

The McDonalds in Seattle are homeless day shelters. Most of them have closed because of it. I refuse to go to one as I don't care for meth fumes with my burgers.

 

[am1]

The McDonalds in Seattle are homeless day shelters. Most of them have closed because of it. I refuse to go to one as I don't care for meth fumes with my burgers.

Not very friendly of you. They have rights as well. lol

 

[YooperGal]

We are up at our Timeshare in Traverse City, MI this week. I noticed that I kept getting charged this week an extra 3% surcharge on my bills, and when I asked the waitress, she said it prominently displayed on their website and its to help the owner pay for healthcare for his employees and to minimize the cost of inflation. I told her I normally do not go to the website of a restaurant I frequent and why is this not posted in the restaurant, and she tells me its because people will get mad...

A 3% surcharge is being added to all checks to help offset fast-rising expenses, including credit card fees and rewards passed on to the restaurant, rising employee wages & benefits, fuel charges passed on to the business and escalating cost of food and other goods. We hope these increases are temporary. This fee is not a service charge or gratuity.

I just feel like I'm being ask to tipp and surcharged for everthing these days, why should I pay something the owner of the establishment should be paying...

So I go to the website and finally find it.... (I listed the website below)

The table next to me heard this conversation and they started chatting with me about this as they also did not know this was happening and pretty soon the whole restaurant was abuzz with this 3% surcharge.

I'm really mad, because I would have avoided going to this restaurant if I had known this tactic was being used.. Has anyone else seen this happening at the places they go to?

Well this my gripe for the the day

MENU | Apache Trout Grill

www.apachetroutgrill.com

A local restaurant has this written at the bottom of the menu: "A 4% service charge will be added to all purchases. A breakdown of what this money is used for is posted at the host stand or you can ask your server or ask your server if you have any questions." It caused quite an 'uproar' on local social media. The owner defended the charge by explaining it was to cover raises & healthcare for employees. He went into detail about how it was cheaper than raising prices on all the items on the menu. I have not gone there yet but eventually will as I like the place. Its location (downtown) is popular all summer, especially with tourists. Many restaurants are offering a discount if one pays with good old-fashioned CASH!

 

[Tia]

Why? It is just a promotion to get you to be a repeat customer, and the driver still gets the tip money. My daughter drove for them one summer, and there was never any funny business with tips -- she got every cent. She also got paid for mileage and for using her phone to run their app while working, on top of her hourly wage. She made out quite well for just driving around, which she really liked.

Kurt

I hope that's right it being just a promotion.

 

[PigsDad]

I hope that's right it being just a promotion.

What else could it be? You do know that in most states it is illegal to not give employees the tips they earn, right? Do you honestly think that a national company like Dominos would risk their business to steal any of their employee's tips?

Kurt

 

[am1]

What else could it be? You do know that in most states it is illegal to not give employees the tips they earn, right? Do you honestly think that a national company like Dominos would risk their business to steal any of their employee's tips?

Kurt

How many companies have? In lawsuits or personal reports. Also illegal to not pay tax on tips but do you think all tip income is reported?

 

[DrQ]

Canadian restaurant sparks outrage after FORCING customers to tip using very sneaky trick​

• The underhand tactic was shared to Reddit's popular Mildly Infuriating thread
• The post included a photo of the credit card terminal which had been modified
• But the method sparked a furor among other users on the discussion platform

Canadian restaurant sparks outrage after FORCING customers to tip

The underhand tactic was shared to Reddit 's popular Mildly Infuriating thread by an anonymous user. The post included a photo of the credit card terminal which had been modified by the eatery.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[geist1223]

Press the "$" Button. Then enter 0.00.

 

[davidvel]

Press the "$" Button. Then enter 0.00.

Yep. And do it very slowly, with a smile. And don't go back. And post on social media.

 

[DrQ]

We went to a restaurant last night with family. There were 5 of us, 4 adults and 1 teenager, so we were not high maintenance.

Issue #1, I ordered brown rice with my meal to try to reduce the resulting carbs by the increased fiber. The meal was served to us piecemeal with mine being served last. I was told that the brown rice was cooking and it would be 30-40 minutes before it would be done, would I accept jasmine rice. I told them no. I had my meal without rice.

When the bill came, I was still charged the $2 upcharge for the brown rice AND there was an 18% charge because there were 5 of us!!!! I was offered no compensation for my inconvenience.

The service was mediocre, at best, and it really torqued me off. I asked for a menu and there was no notification of a mandatory "tip" for such a small party. I asked to talk to the manager and she refused to remove the 18% saying that the notification was on "the old menu" .(What, what???) The restaurant was crowded and I raised my voice complaining of the forced tip without notice and she did remove it. I was considering a 10% tip on a $100 tab, but I upped it to 15% because most of my ire was directed at management and the back of the house.

Had she not backed down, I had enough ca$h to hand it to her for the bill, minus the forced gratuity, and then have her call the police to settle the matter.

 

[clifffaith]

Credit card machine at Sport Clips is preprogrammed to show $7 for a $30 haircut. I had heard this from Cliff when I complained he was over tipping when he’d bring home his receipt. I went with him on Halloween, with the idea of getting my hair cut too if I liked the look of the place. Even though the sign out front said “men’s cuts” they assured me they did women’s too and the place had no other customers besides us because everyone seemed to be doing Witchy things that day. At the end they handed the machine to me with $14 in tips on it. I had her show me how to put in a “custom tip” and changed it to a MORE THAN ADEQUATE 20% tip. A $6 tip for each cut was more than enough especially since my back and I declined a shampoo (we both went with freshly washed hair) rather than go through the torture of the shampoo bowl.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

I am OK with a mandatory tip, because I have yet to go to a restaurant with bad service/server. Walt Disney World (and I assume other theme park) restaurants have a mandatory 18% tip, mainly because guests from other countries don't know about adding a gratuity. Other restaurants I go to usually have a "suggested tip" which show you the certain % to add in. In terms of mandatory tip for 5+ groups, every restaurant I go to says it, so it should be assumed.

TS

 

[rapmarks]

I went to a restaurant this summer with the library book club and ordered a 13.99 sandwich. I figured handing the waiter a $20 would leave about a $5 tip. Nope, there were so many surcharges that I needed to add a couple more bucks for the tip.
but I still remember getting into an argument with a manager because the restaurant claimed 18% of $17 was $10. He was shocked when he got out his calculator and discovered his math was wrong.

 

[DrQ]

Walt Disney World (and I assume other theme park) restaurants have a mandatory 18% tip, mainly because guests from other countries don't know about adding a gratuity. ...

If it is stated upfront, either on the menu or on the front door, fine. I can make a choice to patronize the place.

Other restaurants I go to usually have a "suggested tip" which show you the certain % to add in.

Suggested is not mandatory. It usually shows what 18%, 20% and 25% would be and some now allow you to check one as an option as well as writing in a custom tip.

In terms of mandatory tip for 5+ groups, every restaurant I go to says it, so it should be assumed.

Wrong, I will NOT assume it. I have seen notices of mandatory tips of 18% on groups of 6 or more or groups of 8 or more, but never 5 or more.

With me, when management strong-arms me for 18%, they are cheating their servers out of at least 2% because my minimum is 20%

 

[Superchief]

I went to a restaurant this summer with the library book club and ordered a 13.99 sandwich. I figured handing the waiter a $20 would leave about a $5 tip. Nope, there were so many surcharges that I needed to add a couple more bucks for the tip.
but I still remember getting into an argument with a manager because the restaurant claimed 18% of $17 was $10. He was shocked when he got out his calculator and discovered his math was wrong.

I was shocked recently when I had dinner at a restaurant in Charlottesville, VA and noticed the sales tax was 12%. The city of Charlottesville implemented this restaurant tax to make up for lost revenue from University of Virginia (tax exempt). This is another reason to calculate tips based on pre-tax amount. Local taxes on hotels, restaurants, and rental cars are making some localities too expensive to visit or hold business meetings.

 

[vail]

so on a $100 bill it is $3 or $6 on a $200 bill?
Let's start with Montauk---rents are high, cost of living is high, wages are higher to attract employees.
The season is short, with only a few months of skiers and summer.

It just hit me--TUG is where cheap people come to gripe about everything.
Nothing much informative here any more.
Just complaints about the cost of everything.....

 

[DrQ]

so on a $100 bill it is $3 or $6 on a $200 bill?
Let's start with Montauk---rents are high, cost of living is high, wages are higher to attract employees.
The season is short, with only a few months of skiers and summer.

It just hit me--TUG is where cheap people come to gripe about everything.
Nothing much informative here any more.
Just complaints about the cost of everything.....

Tell you what, why don't you just start a restaurant with just items, no prices. When asked, the server just shrugs and replies "Market price".

Come the end of the meal, the patron is just presented with the bill.

Let's see how that works out.